1. Field of the Invention
This invention most generally relates to containers. More particularly the invention relates to containers which may be folded in a manner so as to create a selected volume for the container. Most particularly, the invention relates to mailing or shipping containers made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, boxboard or the like, which are foldably adjustable with respect to a height dimension and consequent volume in order to accommodate articles or collections of articles having a specific volume. The variable volume container thus eliminates the need for post offices and other mailing and shipping businesses to have to purchase and stock a great variety of sizes of boxes and containers. Storage of variable volume boxes is more efficient, and consumers purchasing boxes for shipping do not have to worry about or guess what size box is appropriate for their packages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various folding box designs which are foldable from a one-piece blank are known in the art. In this regard, a typical foldable box blank has primary folding lines which may be perforations, indentations, slits, scoring, cuts or any other weakening lines which provide weakening of the integrity of the unfolded box blank so that the box may be formed by folding at the weakening lines. Such foldable box blanks are usually cut or stamped from a flat sheet of, for example, cardboard. The die used to stamp the blank also scores the blank along selected lines, to enable a person to easily fold the blank along such scores to create the finished container. Some examples of known foldable containers include a typical pizza box, milk carton, and a box used to ship books.
The primary disadvantage with most of the types of boxes discussed above, especially for those in the mailing and shipping fields, is that the box blank can form a box of only one size. Therefore, finished boxes have a fixed and predetermined volume. If a person buys a box, and it is not the right size for the item being shipped, another box must be acquired or the box must be cut down with a sharp instrument such as a knife. Companies that are in the business of packaging goods and mailing and shipping of goods must stock and carry many differently sized boxes or box blanks. In addition, if a box is too big for an item and sufficient packing is not included when the item is packed, there is increased risk of damage to the item or injury to a person carrying the box or container. In particular, the item which is loose in the box may quickly shift if the box is tilted, thus possibly causing damage to the item by hitting the sides of the container, or causing damage to the item or person carrying it when the box is accidentally dropped due to the sudden, unexpected shift of weight. Furthermore, if a force is applied near the top center of a partially filled box, the tape that secures the box can be forced loose.
As a result, various boxes have been designed to be able to form finished boxes having various selectable volumes, thus reducing manufacturing and storage costs, reducing inconvenience for customers attempting to select a container of proper size, and reducing damage to persons and property due to items being placed in inappropriately sized containers. For instance, a book-shipping box known to Applicant comprises a flat rectangular bottom portion with four extending flaps which are each scored along the edge of the bottom portion and at two or three distances out from the flat bottom portion. The scoring enables the flaps to be folded up to different heights to accommodate books of different thicknesses but the corners of the formed boxes remain uncovered. Other examples of boxes having various selectable volumes include U.S. Pat. No. 2,382,891 to McCormick, U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,855 to Becker, U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,467 to Anderskow, and German patent document No. 24 37 862.
In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 2,382,891 to McCormick discloses a box with extending flaps which can be used to close the box. The reference also discloses a plurality of horizontal creases on the side walls of the box and corner creases in the form of a cut-score or perforation being provided at the corners of the box where the side walls are joined. The perforation allows the corner of the side walls to be separated and the side walls to be folded along the horizontal creases to thereby provide a box having various selectable volumes. Despite the advantages provided by prior art box having various selectable volumes, actually changing the volumes on such a box have been found to be very difficult and consequently, noted prior art boxes having various selectable volumes have not gained in popularity in the market place.
It is also known in the art to provide containers such as milk cartons that have openings which are shaped differently than most storage or shipping boxes. These containers have end panels with triangularly shaped score lines which allow the end panels to be folded and thereby close the opening. In addition, such containers also allow a spout to be formed to allow dispensing of the milk or other liquids contained therein. These cartons having triangularly shaped score lines, however, may only be formed to be one size. Furthermore, these cartons are designed to be left in a peaked shape and do not have a flat top surface when the carton is closed. Consequently, these cartons are not suitable for use as storage and shipping boxes since they cannot be easily stacked.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,636,838 to Roser discloses a collapsible hand bag which may be configured to have various volumes. The reference discloses that the front and rear walls have a plurality of fold facilitating lines and that the end walls have triangularly shaped angled lines, these lines allowing configuration of the hand bag into various volumes. However, the reference is directed to the art of hand bags and does not disclose a container suitable for storage and shipping purposes. In addition, much like the milk carton prior art discussed above, when in use, the hand bag of Roser has a peaked shape and does not have a flat top surface in most of the configurations. Consequently, such designs are also not suitable for use as storage and shipping boxes since they cannot be easily stacked.
Therefore, in view of the above, there still exists an unfulfilled need for a container having various selectable volumes where the volume of the container can be easily changed. There also exists an unfulfilled need for such a container having a flat top surface when the container is closed so that the container can be stacked and used for storage and shipping purposes.
The invention is directed primarily to a container having a plurality of selectable volumes which selectable volumes are made by inwardly folding sides and ends of the container along selectable foldable creases. The invention may also be a container in unassembled form comprised of a flat blank sheet of material foldable to form walls and bottom and scribed or scored before or after assembly into the container, to provide for the selectable creasing and folding. The container may have any suitable use and particularly may be a shipping container or a storage container. Preferably the container, when assembled, is rectangular in cross sectional shape, and may be formed from cardboard, corrugated cardboard, or other suitably strong but creasable and foldable material. The container may be assembleable from a substantially flat form.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above objects are obtained by a container having a plurality of selectable volumes including a bottom portion having a substantially rectangular shape with two substantially parallel side edges and two substantially parallel end edges, two side panels attached to and extending upwardly from the two side edges of the bottom portion, and two end panels attached to and extending upwardly from the two end edges of the bottom portion, each of the two side panels having edges which are attached to edges of each of the two end panels to thereby form four corner edges of the container. The container also includes at least one perforation laterally extending substantially across the two side panels and the two end panels to allow removal of at least a portion of these panels, each of the two end panels including at least one set of hypotenuse creases adapted allow the two end panels to be inwardly folded to thereby form a top closure for the container with a portion of the two side panels. Preferably, the top closure is formed so that it has a flat top surface to allow stacking of containers.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container includes a plurality of perforations that laterally extend substantially across the two side panels and the two end panels to allow folding of these panels or to allow selective removal of at least a portion of these panels. In such an embodiment, each of the two end panels include a plurality of sets of hypotenuse creases adapted to allow selective inward folding of the two end panels to thereby allow selection of a volume for the container. Each of the plurality of sets of hypotenuse creases preferably include a first crease and a second crease, each of the first crease and the second crease extending upwardly from a corner edge of the container, and preferably, from an intersection of the corner edge and a perforation. In this regard, the first crease and the second crease of each of the plurality of sets of hypotenuse creases extend upwardly toward a central axis of an end panel and terminate at an intersection thereof. Preferably, this intersection is also on a perforation so that the first crease and the second crease terminate at a perforation. In addition, the end panels may be provided with a vertical perforation extending along the central axis between the plurality of sets of hypotenuse creases to allow folding of the end panels along the central axis. Furthermore, the container may further include a closure flap at an upper edge of one side panels for overlapping at least a part of the other side panel. The closure flap may also include side flaps which can be downwardly folded toward the two end panels of the container. Moreover, one or more of the perforations and the hypotenuse creases may be provided with an identifiable marking to facilitate identification of the perforations on the two side panels and the two end panels.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the container having a plurality of selectable volumes may include a plurality of fold facilitating creases laterally extending substantially across the two side panels and the two end panels to allow selective folding of these panels. Preferably, these plurality of fold facilitating creases are positioned on the two side panels and the two end panels at a height distance less than that of the plurality of perforations. In addition, the plurality of sets of hypotenuse creases extends upwardly from an intersection of the corner edge and at least one of a perforation and a fold facilitating crease, and terminates at an intersection with a perforation. A through hole may be provided at this intersection with the perforation to facilitate folding of the container. Furthermore, the container may also include a vertical perforation to facilitate the removal of a portion of the two side panels and the two end panels. Preferably, the vertical perforation is provided on each of the four corner edges of the container. Of course, at least one of the plurality of fold facilitating creases may also be provided with an identifiable marking as well.
The invention has the particular objectives, features and advantages of: 1) being less costly to a reseller because fewer sizes of basic container need to be retained in stock in order to accommodate many sub-sizes; 2) adjustable volume allowing container to hold items more snugly, with less internal movement, thus in some cases eliminating or at least reducing the need for additional packing material, thereby reducing shipping/packaging cost; 3) a variable volume container is advantageous for a catalog merchant who ships varied items and/or quantities in a single box; 4) the container is more environmentally friendly, by reducing the need for extra packing material; 5) less time would be spent in a shipping department figuring out what size container to use for a variety of products; 6) adjustable size is likely cheaper to ship because the appropriate smaller sizes could be selected, thus reducing space for shipping, reducing the number of parcel containers, airplanes, and trailers needed for shipping and consequently reducing the total number of miles driven, gas used, maintenance and repair costs and labor costs; 7) having filled containers ready for shipping which take up less warehouse space, thereby reducing cost; 8) saving on storage space for packing material; 9) all versions of the invention increase safety by eliminating the need to use any type of sharp blade to reduce the volume of a box; 10) cutting down the corners of a container by hand with a sharp blade in order to reduce its volume usually produces cuts of different length and/or cuts that are not straight, resulting in a container, once it is sealed, that is uneven/asymmetrical and therefore not only unpleasing to the eye, but also difficult and unsafe to stack; 11) an embodiment of the invention with precut sealing strips increases efficiency and saves time at the Post Office, because postal clerks would no longer have to tape boxes for customers, thereby saving the Post Office labor time and cost of materials for taping, and saving time for all customers, especially those waiting in line; 12) savings in damage and replacement cost for items damaged in shipping due to internal movement of the item within a container too large for the item; 13) being available in several base adjustable sizes, and being available in heavy and light weight versions, for various goods; 14) being more cost effective for consumers who wouldn""t have to buy, along with a box, a package of packing material, and a full roll of tape or other sealing materialxe2x80x94an appropriately sized container with just the right amount of sealing material would be available as a kit; 15) providing a more robust container which can be more effectively packaged, sealed and stacked; 16) providing a cost effective and economically viable container having variable volumes; 17) providing cost and volume savings since only one model of box need be manufactured and/or purchased; and 18) providing a container which may be reused at a same volume configuration or a smaller volume configuration.
These and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains after a study of the present disclosure of the invention.